


Secrets

by TheBiophone



Category: Jem and the Holograms (Cartoon)
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Canon Compliant, Other, Post-Canon, Sharing a Room
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28291854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBiophone/pseuds/TheBiophone
Summary: Everybody has secrets.
Relationships: Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor & Jem | Jerrica Benton
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> [This story takes place post-cartoon-canon—not terribly long after the last episode. The “truce” between the Holograms and the Misfits is in play here.]

Pizzazz was sitting inside a mixing booth along the 12th floor of Stingers Sound. She switched the various faders in front of her up and down as the Stingers performed on the other side of the glass. The song was flamboyant and boisterous—it was a guaranteed hit.

As the song came to an end, Pizzazz leaned into her microphone and said, “Great work, everybody.”

“Thanks,” Riot said as the band packed up their gear. “It was great working with you today. See you tomorrow?”

“Of course!” Pizzazz replied.

Rapture and Minx waved goodbye as they left the studio. Soon, it was just Pizzazz, who had yet some post-recording work to do. She got up from her chair to check on the master tape. As her back was turned, she heard a voice coming from the doorway, saying, “Oh, sorry, Pizzazz!”

Pizzazz turned around. “Jem!?” she exclaimed. It was the pink pop star herself, head-to-toe in some suitably flashy blue-and-pink dress.

“I thought this room might be empty,” Jem continued.

“Well, if you’re looking to use it, you’re outta luck,” Pizzazz said. “I’ve still got some work to do.”

“No, that’s fine,” Jem said. She paused. “It’s just… do you mind if I sit down for a moment?”

Pizzazz raised a non-existent eyebrow at Jem’s question, but what with the truce and all, the Misfit replied, “Sure, go ahead.”

Jem found a seat—one that was  _ not _ Pizzazz’s—and took it. “What are you even doing here?” Jem asked. “Where are the other Misfits?”

“Well, since the Stingers knew the sweet success that came with being part of the Misfits, Riot asked me to produce their next album,” Pizzazz explained, turning again to get the master tape from the recorder. “As for the other Misfits? Jetta and Stormer are tweaking some of the instrumentation for our upcoming record, and Roxy’s going to be meeting up with Minx right away.”

“Roxy and Minx are working on something together?” Jem asked.

“Nah,” Pizzazz replied. “Not as far as I know. They’re just buddies. Turns out they’re into the same West German industrial band. You should see the two of them fawning over it. Two peas in a pod, I tell ya.”

“Wow!” Jem said. “That’s great!”

“It sure is!” she said. Then, she asked, “So… what are  _ you _ doing here?”

“At Stingers Sound?” Jem asked. “We had come here to check out some of Minx’s synthesizers. Then, Riot noticed us, and he  _ insisted _ we try doing a recording session here.”

“That  _ is... _ interesting,” Pizzazz said, “but I meant more like, what are you, Jem, doing in a mixing booth, without your bandmates?”

Jem sighed. “I just needed to take five,” she said. “Rio and I got into an argument. I—I needed to clear my head.”

“He’s such a jerk!” Pizzazz grumbled. “I don’t know why you put up with him!”

“Oh, Pizzazz!” Jem said. “Rio’s actually really sweet. He can just be a bit… bullheaded sometimes.”

“He’s got some bull, alright!” Pizzazz said. “Besides, what’re you all knotted up for? Isn’t he supposed to be  _ Jerrica’s _ boyfriend?”

Jem wrung her fingers a bit. “It’s… complicated,” she said.

Pizzazz turned her glance toward Jem. “Open relationship?” she asked.

It took the pink-haired singer a moment to react, but she eventually managed to let out a, “I… something like that.”

The green-haired punk nodded her head and turned it back. “Your secret—or whatever’s left of it—is safe with me,” she said. As she was saying this, she retrieved the master tape from the recorder and put it in a containing canister.

“Thank you, Pizzazz,” Jem said, before adding, “Wait, what do you mean, ‘Whatever’s left of it’? Is it really that obvious?”

_ How can she be so oblivious…? _ Pizzazz thought before saying, “It’s pretty obvious that  _ something’s _ going on with you three. Add Riot to the mix, and it’s you four.”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that!” Jem interjected quickly. “Riot’s… Riot’s not part of the relationship. Trust me.”

There was a beat of silence before Pizzazz, placing the container on a shelf and walking over to her seat, asked, “How is  _ Riot _ not part of the relationship?”

“He just isn’t!” Jem said. “He’s a great guy, but he’s just not my type!”

“Ridiculous,” Pizzazz said. “Riot is everybody’s type….”

Jem chuckled softly. “I know he’s your type….”

Pizzazz rubbed her cheeks. “How could he not be?” she said. “It’s weird… I’d never felt anything for a  _ man _ before Riot showed up.”

“‘A man’?” Jem echoed. “Pizzazz, are you—?”

“Yep,” she said. “I sure am.”

“But all of those times you went after men, after  _ Rio—! _ ”

“They never meant a damn thing,” Pizzazz said. “All I wanted was to get ahead. Men can make good footstools.”

In spite of herself, Jem smiled. “Your secret is safe with me,” she said.

Not that she would ever admit to it, but Pizzazz felt a small smile growing across her face. “Thanks, Jem,” she said. “I dunno if it’s much of a  _ secret, _ but it’s nice to keep these things quiet sometimes. Remember how some of the tabloids ran with Kimber and Stormer?”

“Do I ever,” Jem replied. “I’m glad it didn’t get either of them down too much.”

“Seriously,” Pizzazz said. For a moment, there was a pause in the conversation, a natural silence. It was broken by Pizzazz asking, “So… do you ever get jealous of Jerrica?”

Jem raised her eyebrows at that one. “No, of course not!” she said, laughing. “I mean, at first it was a little…  _ difficult,  _ but… I think we’ve all figured out who’s who in this relationship.” She started fidgeting with the skirt of her dress.

“Well, that’s good,” Pizzazz said. “When people don’t have their acts together, it only ends in disaster. Of course,” she added, cocking the ridge of her eyebrow and smiling, “some people  _ like _ disaster.”

“They sure do!” Jem said, giving Pizzazz a knowing look. Then, looking away, she sighed. “Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe Rio and I haven’t hit ‘disaster’ yet. Maybe if we were to hit that, we wouldn’t argue as much.”

“I… don’t know about that,” Pizzazz said. “Maybe Rio’s just….” She bit her lip.  _ Gotta be nice….  _ “Maybe… hm.” Pizzazz was stuck. She couldn’t think of a response that wasn’t, “Maybe Rio’s just an asshole.”

It didn’t matter that Pizzazz was drawing a blank, though. At that moment, Jem laid her head on Pizzazz’s shoulder. “Oh, Pizzazz,” she said, “Why do these things have to be so  _ complicated? _ ”

Pizzazz, trying not to let her surprise at Jem’s gesture show, replied, “Damned if I know. All I know is you keep going ‘til it’s not worth it anymore.”

Jem glanced up at Pizzazz’s eyes. “That’s pretty good advice!” she said. “Y’know, for a punk, you’re pretty wise!”

“W-well, isn’t that sweet of you to say?” Pizzazz said.  _ Am I blushing? _ she asked herself.  _ Please don’t let me be blushing.  _ “Th-there’s a lot of punk wisdom the world could, ah, benefit from.”

Jem lowered her gaze again. “Hey, listen… sorry about dismissing you off the bat, way back when,” she said. Her eyes opened wide for a moment. “I mean, sorry about Jerrica calling you… ‘trash’ and all that.”

“I can’t blame her for that, really,” Pizzazz said. “It was her father’s legacy, after all. If she wants that legacy to live on through mainstream glam rock, that’s her business.” She was silent for a moment. “Besides, the Misfits made it to the top of the charts either way. We can let the past be in the past.” There was another moment of silence. “... Sorry about destroying your billboard that one time… and taking down part of Starlight Music with it, by the way. That was... honestly an accident.”

“‘Honestly an accident’?” Jem echoed, raising her head off of Pizzazz’s shoulder. “What did you  _ mean _ to do?”

“I just meant to draw a moustache on your face… on the billboard,” Pizzazz explained.

“And that destroys a billboard  _ how, _ exactly?”

“Laser gun.”

Jem sighed. “Laser gun,” she repeated. Combing her hand through her hair, she said, “Well, I guess we can let the past be in the past, alright. Nobody was hurt, and we managed to fix the windows. All’s right with the world.” She laid her head back down on Pizzazz’s shoulder.

“It sure is,” Pizzazz said, feeling some warmth near the bridge of her nose. 

“Technology doesn’t always do what we want it to, huh?” Jem added, laughing. “There have been some real humdingers of accidents at Holograms shows.”

“Isn’t Rio your tech guy?” Pizzazz asked.

“He is,” Jem said, “but some of our problems are beyond his control.”

“That’s a bit hard to believe, but okay,” Pizzazz said.

Once again, Jem laughed. “You know,” she said, “this has been nice. It’s been nice being able to talk to you and to have a  _ real _ conversation.”

“Th-thanks,” Pizzazz said. “You too….”

“You know what else?” Jem said, raising her head back up. “I think I’m going to tell them Jem’s done for the day. The Holograms can pick up where we left off tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Pizzazz said.  _ Why’s she referring to herself in the third per—? _

Before Pizzazz could finish that thought, Jem pinched one of her earrings and said, “Show’s over, Synergy.” The pink-haired pop singer who had been next to Pizzazz was now the blonde executive of Starlight Music.

“JERRICA BENTON?” Pizzazz gasped. The two women looked at each other, both equally stunned by what had just transpired. 

“Pizzazz, I—!” Jerrica started to say before the chair beneath her started to slip. At that moment, she began to fall backwards. Pizzazz reached out and grabbed Jerrica in the nick of time, keeping her from falling all the way.

Jerrica and Pizzazz still looked at each other in shock. Though she could not dare to say it, Jerrica thought: 

_ Is my secret still safe with you? _

**Author's Note:**

> [A/N: sequel hook, babeyyy
> 
> But in all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed this fic!! I’d gotten the original idea months ago, but it was because of you, Doom, that I got around to writing it. C: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and all the rest!!]


End file.
